Dynamic janus hydrogen bond mimicry unlocks tough, flexible supramolecular elastomers for strain sensing

TitleDynamic janus hydrogen bond mimicry unlocks tough, flexible supramolecular elastomers for strain sensing
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2026
AuthorsLakshmi, D, Wagh, MA, Sharma, A, Alam, MShafi, T. Selvan, M, Torris, A, Mondal, T, Sanjayan, GJ, Nair, KSukumaran
JournalChemistry of Materials
Volume38
Issue6
Pagination2699-2711
Date PublishedMAR
Type of ArticleArticle
ISSN0897-4756
Abstract

Flexible and wearable electronics demand stretchable sensors with polymer elastomers as key matrixes for mechanical flexibility and durability. However, despite their excellent elasticity, their limited mechanical strength remains a challenge. To address this limitation, in this study, we report the rational design of supramolecular polyurethane elastomers (SPUs) incorporating nucleobase-inspired aminopyrimidinedione with DDA-AAD (G-C mimic) reversible triple hydrogen bonds. This dual-domain architecture gives rise to a durable supramolecular network with enhanced mechanical properties, yielding elastomers that are soft, stretchable, and tough. By tuning of the density of dynamic cross-links, mechanical properties were systematically modulated. SPU-0.5 exhibited a maximum tensile strength of 16.14 MPa, representing a 67-fold strength enhancement over that of SPU-0. Although increasing the aminopyrimidinedione (APD) content reduced elongation, SPU-0.2 retained a high elongation of 1060% and showed the lowest residual strain during cyclic tests. To be of great interest, the activation energy increased with increasing hydrogen bonding content up to SPU-0.1, whereas beyond SPU-0.2 it decreased, likely due to extensive hydrogen bond formation. Furthermore, SPU-0.2-SP, a conductive variant, demonstrated a promising strain-sensing performance even after hundreds of cycles. Overall, the insights gained from this study advance the development of intelligent soft materials and lay the groundwork for next-generation flexible and wearable electronic devices.

DOI10.1021/acs.chemmater.5c02829
Type of Journal (Indian or Foreign)

Foreign

Impact Factor (IF)

8.1

Divison category: 
Organic Chemistry
Polymer Science & Engineering
Database: 
Web of Science (WoS)

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